Upon hearing the mission in Amegakure mentioned, a faint gleam flashed through Danzō's eyes—so subtle that no one noticed.
Unfortunately for him, there wasn't just a person in the room, but also a very large insect.
"Kazuyama, that old guy's eyes twitched."
"He's definitely plotting something. And you know what? You should keep targeting him. Just look at him—so sneaky, definitely a bad guy."
Chōmei's comment made Kazuyama smile to himself.
He'd already figured that much out. After all, the Aburame Clan heading to Amegakure wasn't just for a social visit.
"No worries, let him jump around all he wants. Once we're back in Amegakure, I'll make sure to rip out every claw and fang he's got."
"Hmph. He actually dared to go after me."
Inwardly, Kazuyama had already cursed Danzō at least eight hundred times, but outwardly, he remained perfectly calm.
He nodded toward Hiruzen.
"Got it, got it. I'll head back to Amegakure now, though I doubt I'll be staying long."
"Considering how much Hanzō hates me right now... ha!"
With a hearty laugh, Kazuyama vanished from the office in a flash using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
As he left, the room grew heavier with tension.
Hiruzen puffed away at his pipe, letting the smoke drift over to Danzō before finally speaking.
"Danzō, don't think I'm unaware of what you've been having Root do. I hope you'll rein it in a little."
"Do you understand?"
Danzō gave a cold snort, brimming with resentment, but knowing he was currently at a disadvantage, he didn't push for a direct confrontation.
"Hmph. You're overthinking, Hiruzen. Everything I do is for Konoha."
Hiruzen gave him a deep look and spoke slowly.
"I know your mind all too well. Don't use 'for Konoha' as a shield for personal ambition."
"I don't want infighting breaking out in the village at a time like this."
"Understood?"
Danzō snorted again without replying and turned to leave the office.
Once he was gone, the ANBU Commander spoke up.
"Lord Hokage, three Root members are dead—"
But before he could finish, Hiruzen raised a hand to cut him off.
"If Orochimaru wanted them dead, they weren't going to escape no matter what they did."
"Even that brat Kazuyama couldn't avoid it... sigh."
Hiruzen's expression was heavy. As Orochimaru's sensei, he hadn't expected his former student to go so far as to attack one of his own disciples.
He wanted to understand what had happened between them.
But seeing Kazuyama's face filled with hate and the wounds all over him, he had decided to hold off. There'd be time to get to the bottom of it later.
Right now, there were more pressing matters.
"The Fourth Hokage's application has already been sent to the Daimyō. Go with it."
"As soon as the Daimyō makes his choice, report back to the village immediately."
"Konoha needs a new Hokage—now."
Hiruzen stood and walked over to the window, eyes gleaming as he looked down at the village.
Meanwhile, Danzō had returned to Root and was already scheming again. Hiruzen's warning wasn't going to stop him.
He didn't buy Kazuyama and ANBU's version of the Orochimaru incident. He was sure something was off.
He ordered two Root teams to gather and whispered coldly, "Proceed with the original plan. Kazuyama must not survive."
"Head directly to Amegakure and assist Tatsuma in eliminating him."
"I don't want him returning to Konoha alive."
...
Amegakure was still draped in constant drizzle.
Back in the village, Kazuyama frowned. He hated this kind of weather the most.
His Transparent Escape Technique wasn't immune to rainwater, meaning it was unusable.
And both Hanzō and Root knew he could fly. That alone put him on the back foot.
"Chōmei, keep watch around us. I need to summon the three Snake Princesses."
"Alright, go ahead and activate your Senjutsu."
With Chōmei on lookout, Kazuyama slipped into a hidden spot and began channeling his Senjutsu.
He couldn't afford the slightest slip-up. Danzō and Hanzō were already in cahoots—he had to be fully alert.
"Kazuyama, you've been calling us pretty often lately."
"Is your body holding up?"
"If you can't say anything helpful, just be quiet. Kazuyama summoning us isn't a bad thing."
Three voices drifted in as the Coiling Serpent Technique succeeded. A faint glow rose from Kazuyama's body.
But it quickly faded.
He'd only used the Coiling Serpent Technique to summon the three Snake Princesses—he hadn't activated Sage Mode. Keeping a low profile was better.
"Same as usual—one gathers natural energy, one stays hidden, and one floats."
"You all know what to do."
Kazuyama stretched his limbs and then disappeared, activating his Senjutsu invisibility. At the same time, he rose into the air and flew toward Amegakure.
...
Inside the village...
"Are you sure you can detect him?"
"You know that kid's invisibility is a real pain."
Hanzō of the Salamander looked over the Konoha shinobi stationed throughout Amegakure, eyes full of doubt.
These were the people Aburame Tatsuma had brought.
Their goal: eliminate Kazuyama. Root had dispatched two full squads, all trained in sensory and sealing techniques.
"His Kekkei Genkai can suppress his aura and make him immune to chakra detection, but he can't avoid making noise from physical contact."
"Besides my insects, we've coated the water curtains ahead of us with chakra. If he touches one, we'll sense it immediately."
Tatsuma spoke with confidence. They'd analyzed Kazuyama thoroughly and prepared accordingly.
They had to kill him this time—if he made it back to Konoha, Danzō wouldn't let any of them off the hook.
"Hmph. Fine. I've already set up an ambush."
"The moment he's exposed, I'll kill him myself."
Hanzō seethed with rage. His fortress had been under siege for days, and that damn crystal was still untouched.
The transparent crystal was unbelievably tough—resistant to water, fire, and nearly impossible to dismantle quickly.
It had made him a laughingstock. There was no way he was letting Kazuyama off the hook.
"Now all we can do is wait. He always takes a few days off between attacks to make us drop our guard."
"It's already been several days. He's probably ready to move."
Tatsuma's confident tone made Hanzō nod. He thought the same.
At that moment, Kazuyama had already reached the outskirts of Amegakure—but he came to a halt.